Hi, I’m Daisy. I’m the writer behind Fire by the Sea, my blog all about seeking financial independence in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most expensive and beautiful cities in the world.
My partner Tim and I are both 39 years old and we both live and work in Vancouver. We’ve been pursuing financial independence since 2019 and would love to be retired before we are 50 – but that is a long shot!
Personally, we both work full-time and are happily childfree. We love exploring the great outdoors, hanging out with friends, and cooking delicious homemade meals.
We found FIRE after returning from a vacation and yearning for a way to get off the treadmill of work. Google pointed me to Mr Money Mustache and I was soon devouring all the FIRE blogs, podcasts, and books I could find!
After sharing my FIRE research with my partner, we decided to pursue financial independence and began trying to optimize everything we could – from housing, vehicles, and food, to credit cards, income, and investments.
Then COVID-19 came along and in March 2020, the stock market crashed, just as we were really getting started on our FIRE journey. Suddenly our plans to reach financial independence seemed hopeless. Or were they?
After living through several months of the coronavirus pandemic now, I realize that our pursuit of FIRE had not just given us a goal of financial independence, but also a mindset and methods that made us more financially resilient.
So, as we all face an uncertain future together, I decided to use my professional writing skills, take a leap of good faith, and start sharing the methods, ideas, and resources that inspire and support our FIRE journey today.
A couple more things.
Firstly, like most people, we feel awkward talking about money, even online, and we’re concerned about fraud too. So to protect my identity, and that of my partner, we are using pseudonyms. Please simply call us Daisy and Tim.
Secondly, also like most people, we have no financial qualifications and we are not financial advisors. We are also not experts in the realm of financial independence or retiring early – we are new to the movement and we are still learning.
What we can offer is a newcomer’s view on the FIRE movement, detailed monthly updates on our financial journey, and tips, tricks, and insights that we have learned along the way, from one of the most expensive cities in the world.
In the end, personal finance is personal. We hope you enjoy reading about our experiences, and can find something here to help you build financial resiliency, on your journey to financial independence and early retirement.